30 June 2005 at 14:50

jobs and heroes

I passed the interview for a temporary boss's job today with flying colours. In my opinion if not theirs. I only went for the interview so that either I'd be rejected and they'd have to stop hassling me to fill in when bosses are off sick; or I'll be offered the job and have the pleasure of saying PISS OFF YOU MUST BE JOKING.The last time I turned down an offer of employment, my mother nearly wept. I had been offered what some saw as a dream job - as a travelling corporate trainer, 50 thousand pounds a year (in the 1980s), and every second week off! But as with today's interview, I had previously tried out the job casually, and I knew that the work stress would be a killer. I could probably handle that job now, but people never offer you employment at a time when you'd want it or be up to it.

As a personal growth technique, I can recommend turning down a job offer, it's on a par with running a marathon, or getting through cancer. You'll never look back.

One day, if I live long enough, I might be mentally up to handling a truly heroic job like my recent heroes, but by that time I'd be too physicallly decrepit.

I'll content myself with teaching the new college courses in Trivial Basic and Postmodern Hypertext, about which I currently know nothing, to school-leavers with A.D.D., that's enough challenge for me. But first the vacation starts tomorrow, time for a heroic assault on the home brew stocks.

I think I'm ahead of you terms of American Beauty work motivation. I work 2 days a week, but never 2 consecutive days so as not to risk burnout. And I take about 9 weeks holiday a year? Can you outslack that? I think not.

Mind you, I can't afford a car. And I have to manufacture all my own alcohol, which is OK since the job leaves me plenty of time for brewing, funny how everything balances out.